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In the last few years, due to the widespread use of the electronic commerce (i.e. e-commerce), the risk of incurring scam increased enormously. Victims are ordinary people attracted by online websites, which offer particular products at a cheaper price. The fake websites are often well-structured and seem to comply with consumer protection law, offering several guarantees which bring the buyer to trust them.

All types of consumer goods and services are involved: cosmetics, technology (smartphones, Tablet PC, PC, TV, car radio), furniture, jewellery or luxury goods and also holiday packages! There are also many scams related to broker websites, binary options or forex!

More often, scams come together with digital identity theft. Retailers are most victims of this kind of scam, as their log-in information is stolen and the thieves access either their e-commerce website or their account in e-commerce providers (e.g. eBay, ePRICE, Amazon, etc.) and they risk to easily switch from being scammed to be scammers. As such, they may also incur criminal prosecution unjustly.

Mostly, organised criminal are hidden behind online scams. Their strong point is quantity rather than the single scam. Scamming for 10.000 euro at once is too risky and also evident. A complaint against such a scam would be taken more seriously, while several 50 euro scam-ads each would be easier to hide. It is quite rare that the victim of a 50 euro scam files a complaint.

In few words: online trade is fascinating but dangerous; it brings great benefits, but it is also very easy to incur scams.

What to do in case of scam?

If you have been victim of a scam, do not wait for the intervention of the State or Judicial authorities: act! In fact, the most of the time scams are crimes subject to criminal prosecution only on a third party complaint basis. The victim must file a complaint immediately without hesitation and before that the scammer vanishes! In Italy, the time limit to file a scam complaint is 90 days from the day the victim realises to have been scammed.

The victim may think to file the complaint by himself. However, this is a brave thought but very risky and ineffective. In fact, the appointed authorities are overloaded by complaints and may not give the right attention to a wrongly filed complaint. In this case, it is better to entrust to an expert.

Damiani &Damiani’s team of criminal lawyers offers the best assistance to those, who have been victim of a scam. We will help you to gather all the evidence needed to make your case credible, in order to avoid dismissals.

Damiani & Damiani has the lexical and descriptive skills needed to file a complaint. Moreover, Damiani & Damiani has experience in recognising the subtle difference between a scam and other unlawful acts, such as breach of contract, for example. Different offenses may bring to dismissal, because they belong to a different legal field, like civil law.

Breach of contract takes place when a party does not accomplish the undertaken obligation. However, in the this case you are entitled to obtain the restitution of the paid price and redress, if a damage occurred. On the contrary, a scam is a fraud, a specific crime where the offender performs specific acts which are aimed only at receiving a sum of money, while he has never had the intention to accomplish the undertaken obligation, like delivering the goods.

In case of scam entrusting to an expert is of paramount importance to find out whether or not the victim incurred a scam or a different offense and to choose the correct remedy, without wasting time and money. Damiani & Damiani can help you with your case. We handle your case at the fastest pace and help you to find the right way to file your complaint against scam in Italy, Greece, Turkey and in other jurisdictions in Europe.

If you think you have been victim of a scam, please do not hesitate to contact our offices in Turin, Rome, Palermo, Athens, Istanbul and Izmir to seek assistance.

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